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Introduction

I’ve owned a Lady-Comp device since 2016. It was my first journey into the world of Fertility Awareness and, although controversial to some, a great starting point for me personally. Given that I practice a ‘manual’ FAM method (NFPTA), I use Lady-Comp as more of a regular thermometer, with the added bonus that Mike can easily see my fertility status without inspecting my charts. It has also come in handy over the years for times in life when charting manually has felt more difficult (times of prolonged stress and overwhelm as an example).

Lady-Comp is a fertility monitoring device that uses a traffic light system to tell you whether you are fertile or not. Users can decide what they’re going to do with the information according to their family planning status, whether that be trying to conceive or trying to avoid a pregnancy. Lady-Comp was made by Valley Electronics GmbH over 35 years ago. The original story was that a doctor was concerned by his wife’s health after she experienced side effects of the birth control pill. Dr. Rechberg then worked with a team of ‘gynaecologists, software specialists, electrical engineers, and designers’ to produce the first ever model of the device (known as Baby-Comp back then). This exceptionally long track record was what initially attracted me to the brand and product.

I wanted to take a moment to discuss my feelings on algorithm-based fem tech. Unfortunately, I feel that many people in the FAM community consider that there is no space for algorithm-based technology, however, I disagree. I have always felt strongly about the fact that individuals should retain the right to choose what is best for them provided they have been given all the information. What this means for me is that a perspective FAM user should understand that being taught by a certified instructor is always the best option. However, I understand that this route is not necessarily for everyone, some people simply do not want to take lessons nor have the time for them while others are open to allowing an algorithm to rule their family planning decisions. The bottom line comes down to, if you have not taken lessons, you will not necessarily understand if an app or algorithmic device is making a mistake or whether you have inadvertently affected something in your charting process. If you understand this and are OK with this, algorithms may have a place in your practise.

As a disclaimer here, I believe that everyone should do their own research before committing to a particular FAM method or fem tech device. Everyone is unique in their own needs and family planning goals and this post should not be taken as encouragement for one method over another.

 Similarities

• Both the old and new Lady-Comp are still physical devices meaning that there is no need to connect them to mobile phones or computers. The thermometer is integrated into the device itself and a screen on the body of it will show your fertility status each day. This has remained unchanged since the very first Lady-Comp model back in 1986.
• Both devices still utilise AAA batteries. This is handy for those who like to travel without a large number of chargers to hand as it’s easy to come by batteries in most supermarkets.
• The interface of both the old and new Lady-Comp is still simple enough to not leave users feeling overwhelmed.
• Importantly, both devices still utilise the traffic light system, a system which I feel is easy and accessible for most users.

Differences

• In previous models of the Lady-Comp device you would need to purchase a baby specific model in order to access trying to conceive themed menu options. The newest model of Lady-Comp includes these features as standard.
• The old model of Lady-Comp included small circles to denote the traffic lights on the screen. On the new model the whole screen lights up with the colour given for that day.
• The outer packaging feels significantly more premium with the newer edition.
• The newer model does not come with a travel case, unlike my older version.

Review of the New Lady-Comp

I much prefer the new buttons on the updated model. After eight years of use of the previous model the middle rubberized button had started to not respond on occasions, making it difficult to navigate menus. The newer model includes hard plastic buttons that feel significantly sturdier.

The display, given that it lights up completely to display your fertility status colour, is much easier to see at a glance. I also feel that this has the likely unintended advantage of it being easier for a partner to see. This means they can more easily be involved in the fertility awareness journey, something that I feel is important for couples.

As much as I love teal as a colour, the new model is a slightly different shade of blue which feels, for some reason, more modern to me. The previous teal colour had connotations of hospital scrubs in my opinion – I appreciate that this is quite a specific and random comment to make!

Back in 2016, I paid £374.36 for my device. Now, in 2024, the new device retails for £425. Given how much time has passed, I feel that this is a ‘normal’ amount of price increase and still feel that the thought put into this device justifies the premium price tag.

The only negative I would say is that has been slightly more difficult to navigate this version of Lady-Comp versus my older model. I believe this is because the older model had a joystick-type control with the four directional buttons. However, this has not been a major barrier as I feel that over time, I have slowly gotten used to it just as I would get used to any new piece of technology.

I’m really happy that this model includes trying to conceive specific features as it’s really handy that users no longer need to purchase a separate device/software to obtain these tools if they would like them. I feel that the features are both interesting and useful. For example, you can now see the week of pregnancy, date of conception/birth, number of TTC ‘hits’ (where intercourse was recorded during the fertile window) and whether CLI (Corpus Luteum Insufficiency) was detected.

Overall, I can honestly say that I still enjoy Lady-Comp as a brand given my positive experiences with their products over the years. Again, I know that algorithm-based devices are not for everyone but I firmly believe that there is a space in the FAM community for those who wish to only engage with such devices provided they understand the risk benefit analysis of this decision.

If interested in purchasing the device, you can find it here.